Lighter



me@ l0, E935. G P SCHMlTT 2,023,617

LIGHTER Filed Nov. 17, 1933 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHTER tion of New Jersey Application November 17, 1933, Serial No. 698,402

6 Claims.

This invention relates to lighters of the character employing a catalytic igniting element, for use with cigarettes and the like, and my improvement is directed to novel, simple and inexpensive means for supporting the catalytic element, in the form of a disk or pill, in a holder therefor, and in providing air admission means, between the pill and its holder, to supply the necessary' oxygen for co-action with the alcoholic vapors in whose path the catalyst is disposed, for rendering said catalyst incandescent.

Other features and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved lighter.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a partial, sectional elevation showing a modied form of my improved lighter.

Fig. 5 is a top plan viewof Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. '7 shows a modified form of closure means.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, wherein my improvement is shown in one form thereof, let I indicate a casing, in which is disposed absorbent material 2 that is to be saturated with vaporizable fuel, such for example as alcohol. An outer shell 3 is also shown as adapted to ensheath the lower closed portion of casing I, and a removable cover 4 is shown as adapted to t over the upper, open portion of said casing, an annular bead 5 upon the casing serving as a stop both for theshell 3 and cover 4.

Removably tting the upper, open end of casing I is a holder 6, here shown as a tubular member, here represented as having a reduced portion 1 adapted to enter and frictionally engage the casing at the upper end thereof, and the main portion of said holder, whose outside diameter may be the same as that of casing I, having a shoulder 8 that abuts against the casing edge to limit the extent of entry by said holder into the casing.

The holder 6 is intended to support the catalyst in the path of vapor leaving the absorbent material 2, and said catalyst, which is in the form of a disk 9, of spongy platinum or platinum black, and may have an aperture I therethrough, is suitably supported in the holder, and is retained therein at the forward end by means of inwardly angled tongues I I, struck from the material of the holder at its outer end, said tongues lying against the outer surface of disk 9.

The supporting means for disk 9 here shown comprises a socket member having the perforated base I2 and surrounding wall I3, said wall being provided with peripheral protuberances I4 that are intended to engage frictionally with the inner surface of holder 6, to thereby lodge said socket within the holder, and to space the socket, and hence the disk 9 away from the holder wall, thereby providing a clearance I5 between said socket and holder for the passage of air to the holder interior, so that vapor from the fluid loy with which the absorbent material is charged may co-act with the catalyst in the presence of alr.

The clearances between succeeding tongues II permit the passage of air to clearance I5. l5

It will be apparent thatupon applying a oigarette end to the disk 9, and drawing upon the cigarette, through aperture IIJ, air is induced to flow through the clearances between tongues II and through clearance I5, into the holder interior, for the purpose set forth.

In order to prevent fuel vapors from condensing and thus wetting the catalyst when the cap is in place, I may, as shown in Fig. '7, cause the crown A of cap 4 to lie closely upon the disk 9, 25 instead of, as in Fig. 1, leaving a space between the disk and the cap, which space, in the course of time, would permit fuel vapor to collect therein and condense upon the disk. When the catalytic disk bears condensed vapor it becomes necesary to rst subject the disk to heat, to dry it out, before the desired reaction can occur. Therefore it is my purpose by this improvement, to close the cap down upon the catalyst, so that substantially no space may be left between these elements for entrapping vapor charged air. By avoiding the provision above the catalytic disc of such a space of any substantial extent as far as is practicably possible, the opportunity for fuel vapors to be present thereabove in position to condense thereon is reduced to a practical minimum.

In the modification of Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the same instrumentalities are employed as in the preceding gures, excepting that in this instance the socket wall I3 is extended up beyond the disk 9, and has an outwardly curved flange I B, a split ring I'I, that is tensioned within the holder, engaging beneath the flange to thus support the socket; said wall extension being provided with apertures I8, that are located below ring I1, for communicating air to the clearance I5 and thence to the holder interior.

Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equally comprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

' Iclaim:` n Y 1. A cigarette lighter having a casing adapted to contain a vaporizable fuel, said casing including'a hollowV holder portion, a catalytic ele- Y ment disposed in said holder portion in the path of vapor from said fuel and having a face exposed forcooperation with the end of a cigarette or the like, said element being peripherally spaced from said holder portion to provide a clearance for the passage of air to the casing interior, said element also being bodily pervious tothe passage of air, and means for supporting -material therein to be charged with vaporizable 15 said element in said holder.

2. A lighter having Va casing adapted to contain a vaporizable fuel, said casing includinga hollow holder portion, a catalytic element disposed in said holder portion in the path of Vapor from said fuel, said element being peripherally spaced from said holder portion to provide a clearance for the passage of airvto the casing interior, means for supporting said element in said position, and tongues inwardly angled from said holder portion tov engage said element and retain itinsaid supporting means.v

V3'. In a lighter havinga casing and absorbent material therein to be charged with Vaporizable fuel, a hollow holder to t said casing, a catalytic element disposed in said holder in the path of vapor from said fuel, said'element being peripherally spaced from said holder to provide a learance for the passage of air to the holder interior, means for supporting said element from said holder, and spaced tongues inwardly angled from said holder to engage said element and retain it in said holder, Vthe spaces between said tongues permitting air to pass'to said peripheral clearance.

4. Ina lighter having a casing and absorbent material therein toA be charged with vaporizable fuel, a hollow holder to fit said casing, a catalytic element disposed in the path of vapor from said fuel, supporting means for said element, 5 said supporting means being provided with a plurality of spaced protuberances adapted frictionally to engage the interior of said holder to hold said supporting means in peripherally spaced relation therewith and provide a clearance for the l0 passage of air into the casing interior, the body of said catalytic element being pervious to air `and fuel vapor.

5. In a lighter having a casing and absorbent fuel, a hollow holder to fit said casing, a catalytic element disposed in the path of vapor from said fuel, means within said holder for supporting said element therein in peripherally spaced relation therewith, to provide a clearance for the 20 passage of air to the holder interior, tongues angled inwardly from said holder to retainingly engage said element at its exposed surface, and a cap to removably t said casing, said cap, when fully seated, presenting its crown in close prox- 25 imity to said element to prevent the formation of vapor condensation upon the element.

6. A lighter having a casing adapted to contain a Vaporizable fuel, a catalytic element supported at one end of said casing in thefpath of 30 vapor'from said fuel and lhaving a face exposed for cooperation with the end of a cigarette or the like, means for allowing circulation of air into said casing and past said element, and a removable cap for said casing adapted to seat snugly adjacent said exposed face of the element with substantially no air space between the cap and said face. Y GEORGE PHILIP SCHMITT. Y 

